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. 1989 Jan;57(1):29–35. doi: 10.1128/iai.57.1.29-35.1989

Fibrinogen binding and resistance to phagocytosis of Streptococcus sanguis expressing cloned M protein of Streptococcus pyogenes.

T P Poirier 1, M A Kehoe 1, E Whitnack 1, M E Dockter 1, E H Beachey 1
PMCID: PMC313036  PMID: 2642469

Abstract

The biological properties of Streptococcus pyogenes M protein cloned and expressed in S. sanguis were investigated. The spm-5 gene previously cloned into Escherichia coli was subcloned into the E. coli-S. sanguis shuttle plasmid pVA838 to produce a newly constructed plasmid, pBK100. Cells of S. sanguis transformed with pBK100 expressed 53-, 55-, and 58-kilodalton polypeptides reacting with type 5 M protein antiserum in immunoblots. The M protein was expressed on the surface of S. sanguis cells as shown by the capacity of the intact cells to (i) inhibit the reactivity of anti-type 5 antibodies with purified M protein as demonstrated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; (ii) inhibit the opsonization by M5 antisera of type 5 S. pyogenes; (iii) express M-protein-like fibrils on the surface of the organisms that react with M5 antisera as revealed by immunoelectron microscopy; (iv) bind plasma fibrinogen and, as a consequence, resist phagocytosis by human blood neutrophils; and (v) be rendered susceptible to phagocytosis by opsonic M5 antisera. These results provide additional evidence that streptococcal M proteins bind host proteins as a ploy to evade host defense mechanisms.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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